Design


Schools In Focus: Talking Campus Security with Mitch McKinley

Schools In Focus: Being Transparent About School Safety Design

Today’s guest is Devin Bowman, General Manager of Technical Glass Products (TGP) and AD Systems. We’ll talk about the relationship between school architecture and designing for safety as design aspects like natural light and floor-to-ceiling windows become more common.

Elevate Classroom Environments, Create Positive Learning Outcomes with Color

Color selection for classrooms must rely on evidence-based design and principles to enhance engagement and, more importantly, support both teachers and the students in the desired outcomes for their time within classrooms and learning spaces.

An Open-Door Policy: Designing for Social-Emotional Learning

While these design goals sought to balance the various needs of a school, they also supported social-emotional learning (SEL), which focuses on fostering social and emotional skills within school curricula. SEL can take many forms, but it generally adheres to five central competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making.

Designing Learning Spaces for Generation Alpha

Generation Alpha is the class of digital natives born after 2010—currently learning, exploring, and growing in PK–12 environments. What makes them different than past generations of learners? Technology has been ingrained into them as part of their childhoods.

Designing for Neurodiversity: Leveraging Research to Create Spaces for All Learners

Interior design is often considered an art, but it’s also very much a science—especially when it comes to designing for neurodiverse populations.

Aligning Learning Space Design with 5 NAEYC Program Standards

When designing early childhood learning environments, it’s important to consider research, development, and the input of experts and educators to determine what is important to help children thrive in these learning spaces. The NAEYC standards are a great foundation to guide the decisions you make in your learning space design in order to support students’ learning and development.

Willow Wood Elementary School exterior

Texas Elementary School Blends Rustic, Modern Elements

Architecture firm Perkins&Will recently saw the completion of its third elementary school for the Melissa Independent School District in the northeast part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Passive House Sierra Grande School

Future-Proofing Educational Facilities: The Passive House Design Solution

High-performing, energy-efficient school facilities can serve a foundational role in uplifting students, staff and the greater community over the long term. The good news is that the solution for some facilities—depending on size, location and available resources—might be born out of the strategic implementation of a concept originating nearly 50 years ago: Passive House.

Schools In Focus: Talking Campus Security with Mitch McKinley

Schools In Focus: Creating More Dynamic Learning Environments

Today's guest is Sue Ann Highland. Currently, she's the National Education Strategist for School Specialty, but previously, she served as an educator for more than 25 years as a school and district administrator, a curriculum director, teacher, and more. She's here to talk about how dynamic learning environments can help keep students active and engaged. We'll talk about the six instructional elements that support dynamic learning, the positive and negative impacts of the pandemic, the increased reliance of both students and teachers on the digital landscape, and the general impact of learning environments on a student's educational journey. This episode is sponsored by School Specialty.

Schools In Focus: Talking Campus Security with Mitch McKinley

Schools In Focus: The Future of the Physical Campus

This episode’s guest is Benjamin Strain, Higher Education Design Leader for DLR Group. He's here to discuss an ongoing DLR research initiative called "The Evolution of Campus," which involves interviews and outreach to higher education institutions to help them navigate the pandemic, return to campus, and explore new spatial and design requirements to meet the needs of faculty and students. He reveals some common themes among all three rounds of research (so far) and addresses the question on everyone's mind: "What’s the future of the physical campus?"

Schools In Focus: Talking Campus Security with Mitch McKinley

Schools In Focus: Flooring Design Solutions in the Era of COVID-19

Interior design plays a fundamental role in not only making education spaces functional, but also in creating a calm, soothing environment for students and faculty alike. Aesthetics—from color selection to layout—are crucial in helping schools re-emerge from the pandemic as safe spaces that promote emotional and psychological well-being. This episode is sponsored by Mohawk Group.

academic design and construction

Why Design-Build Merits Serious Consideration for Academic Design & Construction

The academic sector is the perfect use case for exploring how design-build is the best delivery system for mitigating risk, increasing the speed of delivery, lowering costs, and delivering great design – all through a simpler, more collaborative process.

Caption: Single leaf sliding doors support North Creek High School’s (NCHS) collaborative culture in Bothell, Washington. Credit: © Chris Eden / edenphotography.us

Collaborative Design Through the Lens of Interior Sliding Doors

In Bothell, Washington, Dykeman, Inc. worked with the Northshore School District to create a flexible, innovative learning center for 1,600 students centered on collaboration. They incorporated state-of-the-art interior single leaf sliding doors and hardware into eight "collaboration cubes" to pave the way for project-based and problem-based group learning, without compromising design.

adaptable educational space

Preparing Students for an Unpredictable Future

Creating an adaptable space is only one component of the agile classroom. What we teach and how we teach are just as important.

storm shelter

Winds of Change: Storm Shelter Design Guidance

In recent years, the International Building Code has mandated that all new construction for K–12 schools in most of the Midwest and South Central United States include a community storm shelter. This article will explain the requirements of storm shelter design and explore best practices for planning and construction.

quiet spaces

Shhh. How to Design Campus Quiet Spaces

Students need space and time for quiet study, reflection, mediation, and stillness. Here’s a look at what goes into the design of quiet spaces in order to make them both welcoming and effective.

Newly Opened Indiana Elementary School Sports Flexible Classrooms, Indoor Slide

Newly Opened Indiana Elementary School Sports Flexible Classrooms, Indoor Slide

A new Indianapolis elementary school includes state-of-art learning spaces as well as a huge indoor slide. Walnut Grove Elementary School, which opened earlier this month in the Center Grove Community School Corp., features innovative learning spaces designed to provide flexibility for instruction.

The Library of Today and the Future

No More 'Shhhh!' The Library of Today and the Future

Our culture has changed. Your community has changed. Has your library changed yet?

Harnessing the Potential of Outdoor Spaces

Harnessing the Potential of Outdoor Spaces

Enlisting students in your design plan and working alongside nature can result in outdoor spaces that are recreational, educational and engaging in ways you might not expect.

lifelong learning

Designing for Lifelong Learning Opportunities

Are there similarities in the design of spaces for education and for senior living? Specific areas where the two intersect include creating spaces that foster lifelong learning, help people build communities and foster relationships, and combat the stigma of being either young or old.

Reinventing the Academic Workplace

A look at spaces that shape student-faculty interactions on campus, and ultimately contribute to student success.

trends at collegs and universities

Trends In Education

Life's one constant is change and College Planning & Management is here for it. From the expansion of big data to plant-forward dining options, schools are adapting with the times. Here's a look at what's happening now and into the future. Is your school ready for what's next?

Trends in Education: View From the Industry

Look inside for commentary from experts in the field who share their perspective on trends in education and the effect those changes will have on various learning environments.

campus landscape

An Award-Winning Landscape

Duke University has won awards for its campus landscape features and design. Careful planning and thoughtful implementation are just two keys to the university's success.

science lab

Science on Display

Creative design can solve the conflict between having an open research lab with natural light and views where passersby can see and be excited about the research being done and safeguarding sensitive or proprietary information.

View From the Industry

Look inside for commentary from experts in the field who share their perspective on trends in education and the effect those changes will have on various learning environments.

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